12 Samsung Apps the Rest of Us Can’t Get

Some of the coolest new Samsung apps aren’t available on any other manufacturer’s phones or tablets | Samsung.com

When you’re buying a new smartphone, the selection of apps that you can download on your device can be an important factor to consider. Just as a gamer wouldn’t buy a computer that can’t handle her favorite game or a designer wouldn’t choose a tablet that doesn’t support the apps and tools he needs, most people wouldn’t buy a smartphone that isn’t compatible with the apps they’d like to use. Some people advocate for replacing the Samsung apps on a new Galaxy phone, while others wouldn’t dream of buying a smartphone that isn’t compatible with the exclusive Samsung apps that they know and love.

Samsung’s Galaxy apps store offers exclusive Samsung apps that other smartphone users can’t get. You’ll also gain access to a curated selection of apps for your Samsung devices. The store reveals the kind of apps that you can look forward to downloading if you choose a Samsung device as your next smartphone. In addition to exclusive versions of apps, downloading Samsung apps from the Galaxy apps store gives you access to exclusive deals and discounts.

1. CNN for Samsung

The CNN app is available for Samsung devices | Samsung.com

CNN for Samsung is “an exclusive experience for Samsung users” that “combines the best of CNN video with CNN’s award-winning news coverage to bring you an unparalleled experience that’s fully optimized for your Samsung device.” The app enables you to watch hand-curated video content, follow breaking news stories, contribute a story to CNN iReport, access local weather information, and browse news-related photo galleries.

2. Expedia for Samsung

The Expedia app for Samsung is great for planning your trips | Samsung.com

Expedia for Samsung is an exclusive app that offers “elevated travel benefits and experiences for Samsung device owners.” The app enables you to book hotels, flights, rental cars, and activities for upcoming travel while also offering exclusive savings for select hotels. You can search for hotels, read reviews by verified guests, find flights, get tickets for tours and museums, choose a car rental, and receive alerts for flight delays and hotel check-out times.

3. Kindle for Samsung

Try the Kindle app for Samsung if you love reading | Samsung.com

Kindle for Samsung is an e-reading app just for Samsung customers. It offers users a free downloadable book every month through Samsung Book Deals, and gives you access to millions of books including bestsellers and Kindle exclusives. The Whispersync feature saves and synchronizes the last page you’ve read so that you can pick up where you left off on any of your devices. Plus, your bookmarks and annotations are saved, too.

4. Lyft for Samsung

The Lyft app for Samsung is great for when you don’t want to drive | Samsung.com

Lyft is a great alternative to hailing a cab or waiting for a bus, and Lyft for Samsung enables you to request a car with the tap of a button. When you download Lyft for Samsung via the Galaxy Apps store, you’ll get $50 in free ride credits and get $5 off each of your first 10 rides.

5. News Republic for Samsung

Check out the News Republic app to keep updated | Samsung.com

News Republic is a news app that offers “an elegant design, unrivaled news coverage, and a simple, delightful interface” optimized for Samsung’s smartphones and tablets. News Republic for Samsung gives you access to news from local and international news agencies, learns what you like to personalize your experience, and enables you to read articles complete with photos and videos.

6. S Planner

Use Samsung’s S Planner app and never miss an event again | Drew Angerer/Getty Images

S Planner, Samsung’s calendar app, is one of the Samsung apps that many users replace with a different version from another developer. But S Planner is a fully-featured calendar app, and has plenty of fans. S Planner can sync with your Google and Facebook accounts. You can add a location to any event with Google Maps, and you can even check the weather for the coming week right from your calendar.

7. S Voice

S Voice can assist Samsung users just from the sound of their voice | Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images

Even as Samsung has streamlined its app lineup and its TouchWiz interface, one of the remaining Samsung apps that comes preinstalled on many Samsung phones is S Voice. The app performs many of the same functions as Google Now, Siri, Cortana, and other voice-powered assistants. Some Samsung users, including Matthew Miller at ZDNet, recommend replacing S Voice with Google Now, though you can use this app to place calls, send messages, make appointments, post to your favorite social networks, open apps, set alarms, search the internet, and more.

8. Samsung Notes

Samsung Notes, introduced on the Galaxy Note 7, is what Phone Arena characterizes as a “consolidation of Samsung’s previously available, S-Pen powered note-taking apps – Action Memo, S-Note, Scrapbook, and Memo. It lets users conveniently create, edit, and manage their S-Pen notes and drawings from one central location.” The app is only available on the Note 7 so far, but will be made available for other Note devices. The app supports handwriting recognition and enables users to create notes with the keyboard or the sleek water and dust-resistant S Pen.

9. PEAR for Samsung

PEAR for Samsung is an exclusive app for Samsung users that “provides hundreds of interactive audio workouts for any fitness level.” PEAR “responds to your body’s data, allowing our world-renowned coaches to provide you with a truly personalized training experience in real-time. What makes PEAR unique is we use real coaches … no robot voices!” Samsung users get a free three-month subscription to PEAR+, which gives you unlimited access to hundreds of workouts, plus exclusive content.

10. Photobucket for Samsung

Photobucket for Samsung claims to be “the most advanced photo gallery manager app on the market,” and it enables you to keep your photos organized across your devices. The app makes it easy to gather, organize, and store your photos, and you can then view them in a chronological timeline. The app will automatically sync your photos so that they’re kept safe in the cloud, and you can quickly share your photos or passcode-protect the ones you’d like to keep private.

11. The Weather Channel for Samsung

The Weather Channel app is the best way to know the forecast in advance | Samsung.com

The Weather Channel for Samsung is a great addition to your Galaxy phone if you need detailed and reliable forecasts. The dynamic home screen changes based on the current conditions, and you can get hourly, weekend, and 15-day forecasts. Features that are exclusive to the Samsung app include Smart Weather Wakeup, which is an alarm clock that takes into account whether the weather will impact your routine, so you’ll have more time to get where you’re going. There are also floating shortcuts and background images that were shot using Samsung phones.

12. Workout Trainer for Samsung

Workout Trainer is ideal for fitness-enthusiasts | Samsung.com

Workout Trainer for Samsung offers thousands of multimedia workouts and customizable training programs, plus access to a fitness community with certified trainers who can provide remote coaching and support with a range of move-by-move photos, videos, and audio-guided accessories. The app offers Samsung-exclusive workouts, plus the ability to sync Workout Trainer with S Health for a comprehensive look at your health and fitness.